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Category Archives: cheap thrills

Since they’re so darn photogenic, I thought I’d show off the spoils from last week’s Etsy binge. I’d forgotten how satisfying these are (not to mention considerably cheaper than my Net-A-Porter sale binge). So many fun boxes arriving in the mail, and all of the lovely packaging and handwritten notes that come from buying handmade. Highly recommend.

Oh, friends…it’s been probably years since my last visit to Banana Republic. And that’s not to say I’ve turned into a snoot (though it may be true)…it’s just that once you’re no longer trudging to an office every day, your need for generic workplace separates diminishes considerably. And that, of course, is what we know and love Banana for, right?

But yesterday, I had occasion to pop inside, and there were actually a few goodies mixed in with the usual suspects. Plus, as always, everything is 40% off today (seriously, we all know to never, ever pay full price at BR, right?) – this week’s code is BRRAIN (through 4.29). My favorites? Read on →

For all my preaching about quality over quantity, sometimes a girl just needs to take that last $40 in her checking account and treat herself to a little immediate gratification. Am I right? But of course, cheap thrills aren’t always all they’re cracked up to be (pleather shoes, anyone?). accessory concierge review

Luckily, I’ve met some friends that can relate. The lovely ladies behind Accessory Concierge, the newest (and quite possibly the best) “cheap chic” jewelry atelier on the block, are here to save you from those piles of jangly plastic junk by offering up a well-edited selection (read: no scrolling through endless pages of awful to get to the one or two goodies on the site) of the best bargain baubles around. And I, for one, can’t get enough.

As I said yesterday, dresses are a major shortcoming in my closet. But I picked up this little red shift at Zara the other day (on mega-sale), and am quite a fan. It plays well with cardis and blazers now, but I can easily wear it solo when the weather warms up. It doesn’t look like much on that stick-straight model, but add some curves to the mix, and good things happen. Plus, it has those drapey front pockets which do a fine job of camouflaging tummies.

I’ve seen two different itinerations of this chevron maxi skirt in the last two days, and stopped in my tracks both times. (In fact, in one case, stalked the wearer across an entire shopping center. Not sketchy at all, right?) Fashion-stalking is always a sign something good’s happening.

Honestly, it’s a toss-up between these two options, the grey/black and the cream/black combo, though I’ll confess to generally raising my skeptical eyebrow (the left one, in case you were wondering) whenever something hails from Victoria’s Secret. But then again, they knock it out of the park occasionally, so who am I to judge?

Whichever road you choose, it’s a no-brainer to style, and a great piece to get mileage out of now but still be able to wear all summer. And it checks in at a very budget-friendly $60.

Phew…I’ve been talking about so many spendy new collections this week! You must be tearing your hair out, wondering if I’ve forgotten all about the real world. I haven’t, I swear. But eye candy is good, and a girl can dream, right? (And occasionally splurge.)

But still. Since we live back here in the real world, I thought a Cheap Thrill was in order to make up for this week’s excess. Read on →

Don’t quit now…a handful of those lovely Cyber Monday codes are still good! Check out our updated list for your last shot at the best steals.

Ordinarily, I loathe this whole post-Thanksgiving shopping frenzy. But this year, I have so many deals just sitting in my inbox, it seems a shame (and downright rude, really) not to share them with you. So as they roll in, I’m posting them here. You’ll see the newest deals at the top, and I’ll rotate out the old ones as they expire (as best I can). Also, I’m only running codes for sitewide deals…no “limited edition” gift sets here. Enjoy…and if you spy a great deal, please share it in the comments!